New Kent, Va (July 26, 2024) — With purse money totaling $2.5 million over seven stakes, nominations closed Wednesday for the 2024 Colonial Downs Festival of Racing program. Highlighted by the Grade 1 Arlington Million, the Grade 2 $500,000 Beverly D. and the Grade 2 $500,000 Secretariat Stakes, the Festival of Racing is slated for Saturday, August 10, the traditional weekend for the renowned trio.

Two of the headliners among the 28 3-year-olds and up nominated to the 1¼ miles Arlington Million (G1) are trained by Charlie Appleby. Godolphin’s pair Measured Time (Ire) and Nations Pride (GB) finished first and second in the Manhattan (G1), respectively. The winningest Arlington Million trainer with four titles,
Chad Brown’s trio of nominees is led by e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ three-time graded stakes winner Carl Spackler. Finishing second to Carl Spackler last out in the Kelso (G3), Allen Stable and CHC’s Talk of the Nation is one of three nominated by Todd Pletcher.

Notable nominations include Million Preview winner Integration, who is trained by Shug McGaughey and owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Woodford Racing, Pine Racing Stables, William Freeman, Michael Valdes, and John Ballantyne. Two-time winner of the Million, Aidan O’Brien nominated the 3-year-old Diego Velazquez (Ire), a dominant winner against older rivals last out in the Meld Stakes (Group 3).

Once again, the 1 3/16 miles Beverly D. has been selected as a Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf to be held at Del Mar in California on Saturday, November Looking to defend her crown for Mark Casse, Tracy Farmer’s Fev Rover is nominated to the Beverly D. With both the Wilshire (G3) and the Beverly D. Preview on her 2024 resume under the care of Neil Drysdale, Nadette (Fr) was nominated just one day after being purchased for $420,000 by Stepaside Farm
at the Fasig Tipton’s July Digital Sale.

The top six finishers in the Diana (G1) are among the 40 older fillies and mares nominated to the Beverly D., including three trained by Chad Brown: two-time Diana winner Whitebeam and Coppice, both owned by Juddmonte, together with Peter Brant’s multiple Grade 1 winner Gina Romantica. Brown, who won five consecutive runnings of the race at Arlington Park from 2015-2019, nominated six in total. Second to Whitebeam in the Diana, Lanni Bloodstock, Madaket Stables, and SF Racing’s Moira is nominated to both the Beverly D. and the Arlington Million. Winner of the New York (G1) before her 4th-place finish in the Diana for trainer Ignacio Correas IV, Merriebelle Stables and Resolute Racing’s Didia (Arg) is nominated to the Beverly D., eyeing a return to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

The Grade 2 $500,000 Secretariat Stakes, named after the Virginia-bred 1973 Triple Crown hero, is a one mile race for 3-year-olds and attracted 36 nominations. Amerman Racing’s Belmont Derby (G1) winner Trikari is nominated for trainer Graham Motion. With a pair of Grade 3 titles for trainer Rob Atras, Red White and Blue Racing’s Neat is nominated. Cherie DeVaux has two nominated, led by Klein Racing’s Brilliant Berti. The last out winner of the American Derby at Churchill Downs has strung together three consecutive wins.

Expanded for 2024, Festival Day includes four additional stakes: the $100,000 Petramalo Mile, a one-mile dirt race for 3-year-olds and its sister race, the $100,000 Penny Chenery at seven furlongs; the $150,000 Van Clief for 3-year-olds & up at 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf and its distaff companion event, the $150,000 Andy Guest.

Tami Bobo, Julie Davies, and George Isaacs’ Florida Derby (G1) runner-up runner Catalytic, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., leads the 24 3-year-olds nominated to the Petramalo Mile. Other top nominees from the Derby trail include D.J. Stable and Robert Cotran’s Holy Bull (G3) winner Hades, Average Joe Racing Stables and Dan Wells’ Mugatu, and Mellon Patch’s Illinois Derby winner Patriot Spirit.

Of the 36 3-year-old fillies nominated to the Penny Chenery, Brad Cox leads all trainers with seven, led by Stonestreet Stables’ Emery, who has strung together three consecutive wins including the Victory Ride (G3) at Churchill Downs and Red White and Blue Racing’s dominant Beaumont (G2) winner, Denim and Pearls.

Stablemates Nobals and One Timer are among the 49 nominated to the Van Clief Stakes. Trained by Larry Rivelli, Patricia’s Hope’s Nobals ended 2023 winning four of five, including the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1). The 5-year-old One Timer, owned by Richard Ravin and Patricia’s Hope, boasts five stakes victories, including the Franklin-Simpson (G2).

The Andy Guest closed with 45 nominations, including a quartet trained by Christophe Clement. The 2023 and 2024 Caress (G3) winners, Cheyenne Stable and John O’Meara’s Roses for Debra and West Point Thoroughbreds, Scarlet Oak Racing and Titletown Racing Stables’ Dontlookbackatall. West Point Thoroughbreds, Larsen, Chris and Titletown Racing Stables’ Gal in a Rush took the Hendrie at Woodbine
in early July.

Entries for the Colonial Downs Festival of Racing will be drawn Saturday, August 3. Tickets for the Colonial Downs Festival of Racing can be purchased at www.colonialdowns.com.

Susan Moulton’s Tufani topped the field of four in Saturday’s (July 20) $125,000 Brookmeade Stakes at Colonial Downs, capturing the Virginia-bred distaff race by 1¾ lengths.

Trained by Mike Stidham and ridden by Ben Curtis, Tufani completed 1 1/16 miles on a Secretariat Turf Course labeled as firm in 1:43.26.

“Very keen to give her a break and let her mature and you can see she’s filled out and she’s grown,” Curtis said. “She used to be very hot, she got warm and a bit busy in herself. Now you can see it, she walks out like a professional and she relaxes straight away into racing. It makes my job easier, and it makes her job easier. She now has energy to use for the race. I’m just delighted. It’s been a long time from the Fair Grounds, not taking a run between then and now. It’s a credit to the connections for that. She took a nice step forward today.”

Continentalcongres set early fractions of :24.46 and :49.36. After hopping out of the gates, Tufani relaxed in the rear of the field and soon positioned a couple paths off the rail. After making her move to the outside in the far turn, Tufani coasted past her foes under a hand ride down the stretch. Surya finished in second ahead of Galilei. Continentalcongres finished last.

Tufani was sent off at odds of 2-5 and paid $2.80 and $2.20.

After finishing second behind Galilei in last year’s edition of the Broomeade, Tufani notched her first local stakes win. Improving her overall record to five wins and one second from 10 starts, the 4-year-old bred by Chance Farm & Distorted Humor Syndicate earned $75,000 for her win, growing her bankroll to $254,442.

PASSION PLAY CAPTURES EDWARD P. EVANS STAKES

McDonald Reiley’s Passion Play grinded out the victory in Saturday’s $125,000 Edward P. Evans Stakes at Colonial Downs. Running down Gettin’downonit in the final stages of the one-mile contest, Passion Play beat out five Virginia-bred or -sired foes by a half length.

Trained by Mary Eppler and ridden by Horacio Karamanos, Passion Play completed the distance on the Secretariat Turf Course rated good in 1:36.74.

“Since I’ve been training him (2021), Virginia-Bred stakes are the only races he basically runs in outside of a couple of later season exceptions,: Eppler explained. “I expected him to win today’s race and exactly the style he ran. There was speed up front today, so we weren’t going to the front. In his first two stakes wins here, there wasn’t any speed, so he went right to the front in those. My only concern would have been if the race was taken off the turf. In that case, we’d have to deal with Repo Rocks on his preferred surface.”

“Mary Eppler is so special to me,” Karamanos said. “She supported me from the very beginning when I started competing at Laurel. She gave me a chance from day one with some of her really good horses. She has meant so much to my career. She is beautiful because she never gets upset even when you make a mistake. She is always happy and just says next time. I’m so happy to win for her. I love her so much and family loves her too.”

Beating out the multiple graded stakes winner Repo Rocks to the front, Spritzer set the :23.02 early tempo but was soon passed by that foe in the backstretch. Passion Play was one of three to make a middle move past Repo Rocks, with Gettin’downonit pulling away from the field down the stretch. Though he looked clear, Gettin’downonit could not hold on, as Passion Play never quit and took the advantage in the final jumps. Hay Chief rounded out the trifecta. Repo Rocks finished fourth.

Bet down to 3-5, Passion Play paid $3.40, $2.40 and $2.10.

Unraced since winning the 2023 Bert Allen Stakes, the 8-year-old secured his fourth local stakes win, including the 2021 edition of the Edward P. Evans. Improving his record to 30-7-4-4, the son of Hold Me Back bred by Mr. & Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin III earned $75,000 for his win, growing his bankroll to $502,497.

DETERMINED KINGDOM WINS THIRD CONSECUTIVE PUNCH LINE

Determined Stables and Kingdom Bloodstock’s Determined Kingdom scored his third consecutive victory in the $125,000 Punch Line Stakes on Saturday at Colonial Downs. Run at 5½ furlongs across a turf course labeled “good,” Determined Kingdom held off the late charge of his stablemate to win by 1¼ lengths.

Trained by Phil Schoenthal and ridden by Victor Carrasco, Determined Kingdom completed the journey in 1:03.16.

“My instructions were very simple. You got the one hole, you got the best horse, just go on and win, said Carrasco. “He’s been winning that way lately and he’s been very successful. He is such a nice horse. He was ready and I didn’t think anybody could beat him in this race.”
Holding the advantage in a duel with Ship the Goods, Determined Kingdom set the early fractions in :22.28 and :45.03. After Ship the Goods threw in the towel in the far turn, Determined Kingdom ran away from the field, holding off the late kick of King Covee, who secured the Schoenthal-trained exacta. Uncle Andrew ran late for third. Ship the Goods hung on for fourth. Buddy Buddy rounded out the field.

Sent off as the 1-9 favorite, Determined Kingdom paid $2.10, $2.10 and $2.10.

Beginning with the Jamestown when he was a juvenile, the 5-year-old Determined Kingdom has now won a local stakes in every year he has raced. Improving his record to 21-8-2-2, the son of Animal Kingdom bred by Audley Farm Equine now boasts career earnings of $556,789.

MYSTIC SEAPORT SITS PERFECT TRIP TO WIN TYSON GILPIN/GLENN PETTY

Madison Avenue Racing Stable and Jagger Inc.’s Mystic Seaport stalked and pounced victoriously in Saturday’s $125,000 Tyson Gilpin/Glenn Petty Stakes at Colonial Downs. The 4-year-old won her first added-money event, beating five Virginia-bred or -sired fillies and mares by three lengths.

Trained by Jamie Ness and ridden by Mychel Sanchez, Mystic Seaport completed 5½ furlongs across a “good” turf course in 1:03.23.

Chmabeau shot to the lead and set the pace in :22.19 and :44.86. Breaking from the outside post, Mystic Seaport positioned in second to the front-runner’s outside and bided her time before making the winning move early in the stretch. Chambeau held on for second. Chickahominy ran late for third.

Mystic Seaport went off at 3-5 and paid $3.40, $2.40, and $2.10. With her win, she improved her record to 10 wins from 19 starts with purse earnings of $313,480. She was bred in Virginia by Daybreak Stables.

Casse, DeVaux, Stidham, McCaughey, Trombetta and more enter multiple runners

Opening Day of the 2024 Colonial Downs live racing season is Thursday, July 11, and the card has been drawn. The 12-race program features an average field size of 10.4, as 125 entries were taken with six of those sitting on the also-eligible list. Beginning with three National Steeplechase Association (NSA) races, first post on Thursday is 11:45 a.m. (all times Eastern).

The Old Dominion 6, a classic Pick 6 with a $1 minimum, includes five legs which are overdrawn or full at 12 runners. The Late Pick 5 with a 12% takeout is equally as flush with an average field size of 11.4. Eleven of the 12 races are scheduled for the Secretariat Turf Course. The lone dirt affair comes in Race 4, one of three events on the card for 2-year-old fillies. Leading freshman sire by earnings Complexity will be represented on the card, as will fillies from the first crop of Tiz the Law and McKinzie.

Last year’s top barns come out firing on Thursday. The 2023 top conditioner Michael Trombetta leads all with five entries. Michael Stidham enters three; Kelsey Danner, four. Mark Casse and Shug McGaughey are represented with two apiece.

In her first meet stabled at Colonial Downs, Cherie DeVaux enters three. Zartownis and Norwich will face off in the turf sprint allowance feature, which goes as Race 8, and Prouver enters the turf route allowance feature one race later.

Select Thursdays throughout the nine-week meet will begin with three steeplechase races, a hallmark of Colonial Downs racing. When Steeplechase races are carded, first post on Thursdays is 11:45 a.m. The flat contests begin at 1:30 p.m. on both Thursday and Saturday. New this year is later afternoon racing every Friday with a first post of 4:30 p.m.

STAKES RACING KICKS OFF SATURDAY, JULY 13

The first three stakes races of the season – the $125,000 Million Preview, $125,000 Beverly D. Preview and $125,000 Boston – will be drawn on Saturday, July 6. All three races will be run over Colonial’s renowned Secretariat Turf Course on Saturday, July 13.

The Million Preview is for older horses at 1-1/8 miles; the Beverly D. preview is for older fillies and mares at 1-1/16 miles; and the Boston, which serves as a prep for the G2 Secretariat Stakes, is for 3yo’s traveling one mile.

2024 WAGERING MENU

New Carryover Rule for Pick 5; Takeout Remains at 12% New for 2024, when there is a carryover in either 50-cent Pick 5 – whether Early or Late – that money will be carried into the following day’s Late Pick 5. The Early Pick 5 will cover the first five flat races on the card and the Late Pick 5 will cover the final five races each day. Takeout remains at a bettor-friendly 12%.

The Old Dominion 6 returns for 2024, a classic $1 Pick 6 wager with a 15% takeout covering the final six races daily. If nobody correctly selects all six winners, 25% of the net pool will be paid out to those selecting the most winners while 75% will be carried over to the following program.

The remainder of the wagering menu consists of the standard $2 Win, Place and Show; $1 Exacta, 50-cent Trifecta, and 10-cent Superfecta. There will be Rolling $1 Daily Doubles and $1 Pick 3’s on all flat races, plus two Pick 4 bets – one on the first four flat races and the other on the final four events.

Also new this year is the opportunity for horseplayers to link up their multi-race opinions in the National Steeplechase Association (NSA) races, which will be held on selected Thursdays. There will be a $1 Pick 3 starting with Race 1 to cover the (NSA) races and $1 Daily Doubles coupling Races 1-2 and Races 2-3. Each steeplechase race will offer the standard $2 Win, Place and Show; $1 Exacta, 50-cent Trifecta, and 10-cent Superfecta wagering.

OPENING WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS

Live racing gets underway Thursday, July 11 with an 11:45 a.m. post time. The first three races will be NSA steeplechase events which include wagering. The flat racing portion of the card will start at approximately 1:30 p.m. It will be the first Thirsty Thursday of the season with $3 draft beer refills every Thursday all season long with the purchase of a souvenir cup.

Friday, July 12 will be Party at the Downs featuring happy hour beer and wine specials from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. and live entertainment in the Trackside Tent. Post time every Friday is 4:30 p.m.

In addition to the inaugural editions of the $125,000 Million Preview, $125,000 Beverly D. Preview, and the $125,000 Boston, Saturday, July 13 features a giveaway of an 18-month calendar loaded with photos of the stars of the 2023 season at Colonial Downs.

Colonial’s races will be prominently featured on FanDuel TV all season long. Additionally, FanDuel TV will be on-site for coverage of the Festival of Racing on August 10.

Racing fans are encouraged to wager on racing from Colonial Downs via www.TwinSpires.com, the official advance-deposit wagering service for Churchill Downs Incorporated and its family of racetracks. TwinSpires.com boasts an improved wagering experience and mobile app combining the latest technology with the ability to wager on virtually every quarter,
harness and thoroughbred horse race from venues around the globe. TwinSpires.com also offers access to unmatched insight and analysis from our horse racing experts, handicappers, insiders, educators and Bloodstock Research Information Services (Brisnet).

About Colonial Downs

Colonial Downs Racetrack, in New Kent, Virginia, hosts live thoroughbred racing on two nationally renowned surfaces – the Secretariat Turf Course, the widest turf course in North America at 180 feet wide and on a 1 1/4-mile dirt track. The Colonial Downs Group, which is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN), also operates Rosie’s Gaming Emporiums® in Richmond, Hampton, New Kent, Vinton, Emporia, and Dumfries which offer innovative historic horseracing (HHR) gaming technology and full card simulcasting as well as Rosie’s Game Room in Collinsville, which features a limited selection of some of their best HHR titles plus full card simulcasting. The 2024 live racing season, which consists of 27 days from July 11 through September 7, is highlighted by the Grade 1 Arlington Million, Grade 2 Beverly D. and Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes on August 10 and the Grade 3 New Kent County Virginia Derby on

Horsemen across the state and beyond reaping the benefits of Virginia Thoroughbred Association’s innovative Virginia Certified program

Colonial Downs invites horsemen across the country to discover if their Thoroughbred, bred outside of Virginia, qualifies as Virginia Certified; therefore, eligible to enter in the many Virginia Restricted races. Any horse that maintained residency in Virginia for at least a six-month consecutive period prior to December 31 of its two-year-old year qualifies. There are 46 Virginia Restricted races in the first book alone. Across the 9-week 2024 Colonial Downs racing season, over $2.4 million in non-stakes purses are up for grabs. 

“We often hear from owners and trainers who did not know their horse qualifies for our Virginia Restricted races,” said Gary Palmisano, Executive Director of Racing for Churchill Downs. “The rules are unique to what you find in other states in that the groundwork to become eligible is done early in a horse’s career, so horses claimed or bought at auction may in fact be eligible unbeknownst to the current connections. I would just encourage trainers and owners to double check their eligibility so that they can take advantage of this fantastic opportunity.”  

The Virginia Thoroughbred Association has diligently kept track of all Virginia-certified, Virginia-sired, and Virginia-bred Thoroughbreds, and horsemen can reap the benefits by following this link to check if their horse qualifies: https://link.edgepilot.com/s/541590df/YvqvI35q20aypvlj3PzFnw?u=https://www.vabred.org/vbf/searchthoroughbreds/.

“If the horse wasn’t named when we registered it, then it’s not named in the database,” said Debbie Easter, Executive Director of the Virginia Thoroughbred Association. “If they don’t find it by name, then they need to search for it by the dam’s name and the date of birth.”

On the website, one can simply check the box for “Virginia Certified” at the top of the page, then either search by horse’s name, dam’s name and date of birth, or view a list of all registered horses alphabetically. 

Created in 2016 by the Virginia Thoroughbred Association, the Virginia Certified program incentives horsemen to raise and train their Thoroughbreds in the Commonwealth state. It has been integral to breathing life into Virginia’s horse industry. In a recently conducted economic study, it was found that the program has generated $86.2 million in economic benefits for the state.

“What this has done is save our industry’s infrastructure in Virginia,” Easter said. “Our farms were going away. Our training centers and our farms that raise young horses were going away. We were losing veterinarians, blacksmiths, everyone you need for the horse industry. We designed this certified program with hopes of bringing 400 horses to Virginia each foal crop. It is bringing more like 800 to 900. It’s been a huge savior to our farms.”

The Virginia Certified program has awarded $14.6 million to owners since 2016. The Virginia Owner’s Purse Bonus awards owners of Virginia-bred and Virginia-sired horses a 50% purse bonus for horses finishing 1st through 4th in all open races. When a Virginia Restricted horse wins an open company race, the Virginia Developer’s Purse Bonus offers up to a 25% purse bonus to that horse’s developer (the owner of the horse when it makes its first lifetime start). 

“Our Virginia farms are hiring people, they’re making capital improvements, they’re able to raise their rates,” Easter said. “In these 7 years that we’ve been registering certified horses, we’ve gotten over 5,000 horses in our program. These are the beautiful things about what we’re doing.”

Those 5,000 and counting Virginia Certified horses are eligible to enter in the Virginia Restricted races at Colonial Downs, and the purses are run for 15% more than the open company races. 

Opening day at Colonial Downs is Thursday, July 11. The first condition book can be found here: https://link.edgepilot.com/s/4c7cf51a/BXzY6LScskCcswjL_xp8Tg?u=https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbHorsemenAreaDownloadAction.cfm?sn=CB-CNL-20240711-20240815D.

Listed below is a list of VA- Certified horses that have started in 2024, and are eligible for Va- Restricted races at Colonial Downs.

The 9-week summer thoroughbred racing season at Colonial Downs will be conducted from July 11 through September 7 with racing every Thursday through Saturday. Post time is 11:45 AM on Thursday, 4:30 PM on Friday and 1:30 PM on Saturday. The popular “Festival of Racing” program will return August 10 and feature the Grade 1 Arlington Million, Grade 2 Beverly D ($500,000 purse) and Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes ($500,000). The Million will be run at 1-1/4 miles, the Beverly D. will be contested at 1-3/16 miles and the Secretariat will cover one mile. All three races will be held on Colonial’s acclaimed Secretariat Turf Course. 

The Beverly D. has again been selected as a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf to be held November 2 at Del Mar. Festival Day is being expanded for 2024 to include four additional stakes races: the $100,000 Petramalo Mile, a one-mile dirt race for 3-year-olds and its sister race, the $100,000 Penny Chenery for fillies at seven furlongs; the $150,000 Van Clief for 3-year-olds & up at 5½ furlongs on the turf and its distaff companion event, the $150,000 Andy Guest. 

Opening weekend action will be highlighted by a new event — the Million Preview Day card — July 13 that includes three new turf stakes: the $125,000 Arlington Million Prep at 1-1/8 miles; $125,000 Beverly D. Prep over 1-1/16 miles; and the $125,000 Boston at one mile, a prep for the Secretariat. 

The Boston Stakes will resonate with fans locally in Central Virginia, which is home to Colonial Downs. Boston, who was bred by Richmond attorney John Wickam and foaled in nearby Henrico County, was America’s most accomplished racehorse in an era when thoroughbred racing was the nation’s most popular sport. Boston won 40 of 45 known races between 1836 and 1943 on tracks from Georgia to New. York, once in front of a crowd of 70,000. Later a renowned sire, he was an inaugural inductee into the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame in 1955. He lived from 1833-1850 

Boston is a grandson of Sir Archy and was a regal chestnut-colored horse with a white blaze on his nose. During his racing career, he was undefeated as a 4 and 5-year-old starting in 15 races. Thirty of Boston’s victories were in four-mile heats and nine were in three-milers. In the era of grueling marathon contests, Boston was in a class of his own.

Thirteen of his starts took place in Virginia including eight in Petersburg –- all of which he won. Post-racing, Boston was the leading sire in 1851, 1852 and 1853 and eventually sired 95 winners of 293 races. Among his noted progeny were Lexington and Lecomte.

To celebrate his importance to Virginia racing, the County of Henrico will dedicate a new historical marker at Boston’s foaling location this summer, soon after the inaugural Boston Stakes at Colonial.  

Steeplechase racing will be showcased on six different Thursdays throughout the 2024 summer racing season at Colonial Downs and for the first time in several years, pari-mutuel wagering will be offered on the entire jump slate — 18 races in all. Three jump races will be contested on the following Thursdays — July 11 (opening day), July 18, August 1, August 8, August 22 and September 5. 

First race each Thursday is 11:45 AM and all three will be completed in time for Colonial’s first scheduled flat race at 1:30 PM. Steeplechase riders will use the regular jockey’s room on the track’s front side and horses will saddle in the paddock. The jump races will be available to watch and wager via Colonial’s simulcast signal. In addition to regular bets, there will be an All-Steeplechase Pick-3 and two daily doubles that cover races 1-2 and 2-3.  

The first of two Colonial Downs condition books is out and available online via the track’s website. Conditions for four of the six jump days are included and feature four $50,000 maiden hurdles, a pair of $55,000 allowance hurdles and a $50,000 filly/mare maiden hurdle among others. A pair of $100,000 filly and mare stakes highlight the schedule — the Randolph D. Rouse on August 8 and the Life’s Illusion on September 5. Both will be run at the 2 ¼ miles distance. More details are available at nationalsteeplechase.com. 

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Casse returns along with multiple champion Stidham, DeVaux, Desormeaux, and Clement lead the list of new trainers

Signaling the beginning of the 2024 Thoroughbred season, Colonial Downs’ barn area will open on Monday, June 24, welcoming returning conditioners, as well as newcomers who are sure to impact the standings. Training is scheduled to begin on Thursday, June 27.

Multiple leading trainer Mike Stidham and Hall of Fame conditioner Mark Casse are among the trainers preparing their string for Colonial Downs 2024 Thoroughbred Season. Casse returns after a successful debut meet where he won 10 races, including Fev Rover’s score in the Grade 1 $500,000 Beverly D., a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

“It was our first meet and we loved it,” Casse said. “(Colonial Downs) has got one of the nicest turf courses in North America. When I came in for the Beverly D, I flew in with Tyler Gaffalione, Kendrick Carmouche, and Javier (Castellano), and they all commented that this is one of the nicest turf courses they have ridden.”

A celebrated mainstay of the summer season, Karen Dennehy Godsey plans to return to Colonial Downs, coming off the most successful meet in terms of earnings of the trainer’s 11-year career.

“Colonial offers races that no other track has, especially given the Virginia-bred and Virginia-certified program,” Godsey said. “It’s quality racing. The money is good, the racing is good, and the track is gorgeous. There is no other turf course like it. Most every horse in my barn is Virginia-bred or Virginia-certified, so those races they offer level the playing field.”

Newcomers expected to stable at Colonial in 2024 include Christophe Clement, Cherie DeVaux, Jordan Blair, and Keith Desormeaux.

“After looking at the condition book, I saw they have a lot of 2-year-old races, they have a lot of 2-year-old route races, and they have plenty of turf racing,” Desormeaux said. “The surface is second to none –turf and dirt. The facility is very nice, the purses are substantial — there were many features that attracted me. Our goal does not change — we’re developing horses to run at the highest level. It’s going to be a great place to develop these young horses.”

Exiting the most successful season in the history of the racetrack, in terms of record number of races, race days, visitors, horses in competition, live bets and off-track bets, Colonial Downs’ 2024 stakes program consists of 27 races worth $5.7 million. The season will feature daily average purses of nearly $700,000.

The 27-day meet runs from Thursday, July 11 through Saturday, September 7.

MEET HIGHLIGHTS:

Every Thursday is Thirsty Thursday with $3 domestic draft refills every Thursday with the purchase of a souvenir cup.

With a 4:30 p.m. post time, Fridays are Party at the Downs featuring happy hour beer and wine specials from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. and live entertainment in the Trackside Tent.

Opening weekend Saturday, July 13 is highlighted by the inaugural editions of the $125,000 Million Preview, $125,000 Beverly D. Preview, and the $125,000 Boston, which serves as a prep for the Secretariat Stakes. Nominations for the three stakes close Thursday, June 27.

Saturday July 13 also features a giveaway of an 18-month calendar loaded with photos of the stars of the 2023 season at Colonial Downs.

Colonial’s races will be prominently featured on FanDuel TV all season long. Additionally, FanDuel TV will be on-site for coverage of the Festival of Racing on August 10.

Racing fans are encouraged to wager on racing from Colonial Downs via www.TwinSpires.com, the official advance-deposit wagering service for Churchill Downs Incorporated and its family of racetracks. TwinSpires.com boasts an improved wagering experience and mobile app combining the latest technology with the ability to wager on virtually every quarter, harness and thoroughbred horse race from venues around the globe. TwinSpires.com also offers access to unmatched insight and analysis from our horse racing experts, handicappers, insiders, educators and Bloodstock Research Information Services (Brisnet).

Originally posted on 6/12/2024 at theracingbiz.com, written by Nick Hahn.

One day before Seize the Grey seized the day in the 149^th running of the Preakness Stakes, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) stopped the gray.

Gray games, that is, the slot machine-like contraptions pushed by advocates as “games of skill.” Youngkin vetoed legislation that would have permitted thousands of these machines to proliferate across the state with only minimal regulation.

With his May 17 veto, Youngkin checked the advancement of a bill that could have done enormous damage to the economic model of Virginia’s thoroughbred industry, which has in the last five years become a true success story. Only an “unusual summertime session” of the Virginia General Assembly, as Graham Moomaw reports in the Virginia Mercury, would prevent Virginians from having a year to take a closer look of legalizing a form of gaming that would undercut a successful horse racing business model.

“I remain open to working with the General Assembly going forward on this subject,” Youngkin said in his veto statement.

Gray gaming machines look to the casual observer like slot machines. Advocates claim they are different because, while slots are purely games of chance – the player has no ability to affect the outcome – gray machines require players to engage with the game in various ways, which does affect the outcome.

That’s the “skill” element that advocates point to.

Opponents, including horse racing advocates, say the skill involved is minimal and exists merely to evade state law prohibiting games of chance but not games of skill. “Skill for idiots,” one player described the gray games.

Gray games proliferated in the first place because they are gray, legally speaking: they seek to exist in a gray area of the law. Then they were stymied by the state and gray machine operators – including the companies that make the machines and the bars and convenience stores that often host them – sought changes to state law to allow gray machines with very little regulation.

That irked racing advocates.

“The whole process needs to be slowed down and make sure gray gaming is good for Virgnia,” said Debbie Easter of the umbrella Virginia Equine Alliance.  “There is no path to regulation of these gray games.  There is no centralized regulation or some kind of oversight for gray gaming that would have tens of thousands of machines.”

Racing benefits from so-called historical horse racing machines (HHR), which also look like slot machines but are parimutuel in nature and use the results of prior horse races to generate winners and losers.

HHR is regulated by the Virginia Racing Commission under a set of provisions established by Virginia’s General Assembly to benefit a native industry of small business that accounts for over 5,000 jobs and has over a $500 million economic impact, according to a 2019 study.

The number of HHR terminals statewide is capped at 5,000. They’re permitted only in localities where a local referendum approved them, and in a facility licensed and regulated by the Virginia Racing Commission, designated to be away from churches, schools, and day care centers.

In addition, by law for every 100 HHR terminals in operation, the license holder – Colonial Downs – must conduct at least one day of live racing. In the last couple of years that has meant 27 days of live racing – soon to rise – with average daily purse money of over $600,000, a robust figure well above other Mid-Atlantic competitors. That generates jobs, income and multiple forms of revenue on and off the track, not to measure what horse racing brings to the souls of its participants.

“From feed, tractors, blacksmiths and trainers, we are large number of small businesses that comprise a large industry, one of the biggest in the Virginia,” Easter said.

HHR was approved by Virginia’s General Assembly in 2018 as part of the renaissance of Virginia horse racing, to restore live thoroughbred racing at Colonial Downs, which had been dormant since 2013.

The rise of gray gaming in Virginia grew out of the pandemic and was banned by the General Assembly in late 2020. After a Virginia court issued an injunction in December 2021 that voided the ban, gray gaming operated until the Virginia Supreme Court reinstated the ban once again in the fall of 2023.

Earlier this year, legislation to legalize gray gaming advanced through the General Assembly. The bill that was sent to Youngkin’s desk, SB 212, had few constraints on the machines. Though it did limit the number to four per convenience store and ten per truck stop, it did not require local referendum approval.

It also placed no statewide cap on the number of machines. It could have allowed many more machines than the 5,000 permitted HHR terminals, HHR advocates said.

That combination – a new and much more lightly regulated competitor allowed to proliferate throughout the state – led racing advocates and anti-gambling activists to fight back. Indeed, prior to the launch of HHR, racing advocates had considered and rejected a “gray games strategy,” deciding instead to enter through the front door, by working with the General Assembly.

So unbalanced was the legislation that voters in Manassas Park, who rejected off-track betting twice in its history, would have no say in the total number of gray games in their community or where they would be located.  

These issues also bothered Youngkin.

“In recent years, the Commonwealth of Virginia has authorized casinos, sports betting, and parimutuel wagering, on top of longer-standing gaming options like the Virginia Lottery, horse racing, and charitable gaming,” he wrote in his veto statement. “When it comes to additional gaming options, such as games of skill, we must proceed with a robust set of safeguards.”

After the bill initially passed, Youngkin sent it back to the General Assembly, urging the legislature to adopt several such safeguards. Those included a higher tax rate and buffer zones around existing gambling facilities. Those amendments were rejected by the Senate, leaving the Governor no choice, faced with an all or nothing situation, other than to veto.

One source estimated that gray games could take a substantial bite out of HHR, and HHR has been, for racing and the businesses and communities that benefit from it, the goose that laid the golden egg.

Credit Governor Youngkin for exercising proper oversight.

The Virginia thoroughbred industry’s economic model has worked well since the onset of HHR and Colonial Downs’s reopening in 2019. The track itself has set handle records in its last two years. The Virginia Certified Residency Program, which encourages horse owners to house their young horses in the Commonwealth, generates nearly six dollars of economic impact for each dollar of investment, according to a study.

Last August 12 the Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes – named for the greatest-ever Virginia-bred horse, arguably the greatest horse, period, of all time – took place for the first time in Secretariat’s home state, at Colonial Downs.

Before an enthusiastic crowd, buoyed by the giant Secretariat statue, the big prize went to Gigante, himself a Virginia-bred and, at 22-1 the longest shot on the board.

Gigante was bred by Ann Mudge Backer and Smitten Farm. She is the widow of longtime Virginia breeder Bill Backer, advertising exec and inspiration for the TV series Mad Men.

It was, you might say, a gigantic win: among the biggest in Virginia’s distinguished racing history. And it was only possible because of the conditions created by the presence of HHR. For the racing industry, that’s what’s at stake.

The following was written by Frank Vespe and appeared in “The Racing Biz” June 6th. Larry Johnson is a Virginia thoroughbred horse breeder and owner whose Legacy Farm is based in in Bluefield, VA. His Future Is Now, a 4-year-old Great Notion filly, broke his maiden at Colonial Downs last August and will compete in the Grade 2 Intercontinental Stakes at Saratoga June 7th. Johnson also bred Mindframe, 7-2 second favorite in Saturday’s $2 million Belmont Stakes! Frank Vespe’s article follows:

“It ain’t a science,” Larry Johnson laughed about breeding racehorses. 

Maybe not. But he said that a few days before Saturday’s Grade 1 Belmont Stakes – to be run at Saratoga this year and next – in which Mindframe, a horse he bred, is the 7-2 second choice on the morning line. The Belmont will be one day after Johnson’s homebred Future Is Now tries to live up to her name in the Grade 2 Intercontinental as the third choice.

Which comes two weeks after Future Is Now won Pimlico’s The Very One, in which another Johnson homebred, Hollywood Walk – who is a half to Mindframe – finished third. Also that weekend, yet another Johnson homebred, Call Another Play, finished third, just missing second, in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan. All are Maryland-breds.

Maybe it’s not a science, in other words, but it sure is a business where it pays to be in the right place at the right time.

“It’s a great ride,” Johnson said. “I don’t do this to necessarily make money. I try not to lose money. But it’s weeks like this: if this doesn’t get you going, you really ought to just go into hibernation someplace.”

Johnson sold Mindframe as a yearling, and he fetched a top bid of $600,000 from Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables. They sent him to trainer Todd Pletcher, and while Mindframe remained unraced – and even unnamed – until the first quarter of his three-year-old season, he’s made up for some lost time with two wins by a combined 20-plus lengths.

Remarkably enough, the Constitution colt, who’s raced only twice and whose top victory came in a first-level allowance, is 7-2 on the morning line for Saturday’s Belmont. That’s lower than either the Kentucky Derby winner, Mystik Dan (5-1), or the Preakness winner Seize the Grey (8-1). Sierra Leone is the 9-5 favorite.

“My gut tells me it’s not just [trainer Todd] Pletcher [that accounts for his short odds]. It’s the brilliance that he shows,” Johnson surmised. “The way in which Mindframe ran his two races, if your project out a little bit, is brilliant. So I think there is a lot of projection going on with him.”

Mindframe is out of the Street Sense mare Walk of Stars, who won five times in her career and earned over $150,000. Among those wins were a victory in Charles Town’s Pink Ribbon Stakes and a maiden score by 30 ¼ lengths – that’s not a typo – at Timonium.

Walk of Stars has had four offspring to race, including Mindframe and the stakes-placed Hollywood Walk, who may very well become a stakes winner before the end of the turf season. By Animal Kingdom, the five-year-old mare’s third-place finish in The Very One was her best performance to date. Her value is teetering on the brink of a major increase.

For Johnson, a forensic accountant by trade, the breeding of Mindframe may not have been scientific, but it is the result – and may become the pinnacle of – a family he’s been building literally for decades. All the way back in 1986, he and James Kehoe bred Ran’s Chick to Parfaitement – Deputed Testamony’s entrymate in the 1983 Preakness – to produce Special Kell.

Special Kell won a stake for Johnson, and later he bred her to Star de Naskra, a combination that produced the four-time winner Star Kell. Bred to Street Sense, she produced Walk of Stars, the dam of Mindframe.

An overnight success nearly 40 years in the making, you might say.

Speaking of which: the last Maryland-bred Triple Crown race winner was Caveat, who won the 1983 Belmont, three weeks after Deputed Testamony won the Preakness while coupled to Parfaitement. That’s a streak Mindframe will try to snap Saturday.

“Whether it’s sisters or nieces or mother, it all goes back Ran’s Chick and the foal she had, Special Kell,” Johnson said. “Special Kell has just been phenomenal. She’s the great-granddam of Future Is Now, and the granddam of Mindframe. If he would achieve Grade 1 success, the influence it would have on the pedigrees of so many of my horses… it’s just overwhelming “

Walk of Stars is a half-sister to the multiple graded-placed Strike the Moon, whose wins included the 2011 Charles Town Oaks, in which she defeated the great distaff sprinter Groupie Doll. That pedigree, plus her own racing success – and Johnson’s ownership of a share of Constitution – made breeding Walk of Stars to Constitution, a multiple Grade 1 winner by Tapit, a logical decision.

Early returns, of course, are promising, so Johnson sent the mare back to Constitution for a late cover this spring. He expects to learn in the next couple of weeks whether she’s pregnant.

The story’s similar with Future Is Now. She’s by Great Notion, out of the Bernardini mare Past as Prelude. The winless Past as Prelude was out of the unraced Meadowlake mare Magical Meadow, who in turn was out of… wait for it… Special Kell.

Future Is Now showed early promise, scuffled a bit, and then really began to come around this winter at Gulfstream Park, winning an allowance race impressively before running a good second in the Captiva Island behind 7-10 favorite Stone Silent. Shipped back north to Laurel, she finished fifth against the boys in the King T. Leatherbury before winning The Very One.

Future Is Now is 8-1 on the morning line in the Intercontinental, which makes her the third choice. Pennsylvania-bred Roses for Debra, undefeated when sprinting on the turf against distaffers, is the 6-5 morning line choice.

All in all, it could make for quite a weekend, though Johnson will not be in Saratoga to witness it. “Too complicated and congested,” he said, so instead he’ll have a watch party at his Northern Virginia farm.

And though a win by Future Is Now would be no mean feat, Johnson’s eyes are pointed towards Saturday.

“Right now I’m trying to do a little work, but all I can think about is the race call on Saturday,” he laughed, imagining Mindframe drawing away to victory. “Who knows? But Saturday at 6:45 can’t get here quick enough.”

The following appeared in the Paulick Report June 6, 2024.

Centennial Farms will look to double their tally in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets when they send out Antiquarian in Saturday’s 10-furlong test for 3-year-olds, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the $250,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase will look to follow in the footsteps of Centennial’s 1993 Belmont Stakes-winner Colonial Affair. He was conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer Scotty Schulhofer and ridden to victory by future Hall of Famer Julie Krone, who became the first female jockey to win a Triple Crown race.

Antiquarian graduated at second asking over a sloppy and sealed main track in February at Fair Grounds, earning a shot there in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby where he broke through the gate before the start. He was reloaded and endured a difficult trip when sixth, defeated four lengths by the victorious Catching Freedom.

The talented chestnut, by the Centennial Farms-campaigned Preservationist, redeemed himself last out, overcoming being bumped at the break by Deterministic before racing three-wide from third position and making a five-wide bid through the turn en route to a three-quarter length score over returning rival The Wine Steward.

Antiquarian galloped on the Oklahoma training track on Wednesday before visiting the gate for a schooling session that went off without a hitch with Don Little, Jr., president and co-owner of Centennial Farms keeping close watch.

“Right after the Louisiana Derby, the first time he went to the gate he stood there for two or three minutes and had no issues whatsoever,” recalled Little, Jr. “I think in Louisiana, when the handler cocked his head straight, he thought it was gate time and anticipated it a little bit. I’m not worried about it. He’s doing great. He’s on the right path and couldn’t be doing any better right now.”

Antiquarian, piloted through all five starts by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, will look to become the tenth horse to complete the Peter Pan-Belmont Stakes double following Counterpoint [1951], High Gun [1954], Gallant Man [1957], Cavan [1958], Coastal [1979], Danzig Connection [1986], A.P. Indy [1992], Tonalist [2014] and last year’s winner Arcangelo.

Little, Jr. said Antiquarian’s Peter Pan score, in which he surged past The Wine Steward inside the final sixteenth, confirmed his status as a serious horse.

“It really solidified what Todd – and Johnny – had thought and told us, that he had a lot of room to grow,” Little, Jr. said. “He put it all together and it was a great performance. The neat thing about this horse is he’s very intelligent and he’s gaining from every experience.”

With the ongoing construction of a new and reimagined Belmont Park downstate, the Belmont Stakes will be contested at 1 1/4-miles at the Spa – but Little, Jr. noted his horse is one that may have thrived at the 12-furlong ‘Test of the Champion’ distance.

“We’ve said that right from the beginning,” Little, Jr. said. “Everyone says there’s an asterisk, but you can put an asterisk on a lot of events. The fact that this race is still a little bit longer than he’s gone will help him. I think he’ll be right there at the end.”

Centennial Farms has been involved in the highest levels of thoroughbred racing and breeding and, through the use of racing partnerships, has opened the door for many people to enjoy the sport.

Little, Jr. credits a loyal group of longtime owners as well as racing manager Dr. Stephen Carr and yearling trainer Paula Parsons for helping support and develop another potential Classic winner for Centennial. And he is hopeful that there will be more reasons to celebrate come Saturday.

“We have a very good tactician on his back,” Little, Jr. said. “Hall of Famer Johnny Velazquez has ridden him every time and he’s helped him grow every time. I think we’ll be stalking right there and be ready to run.”

Perhaps the fact that Antiquarian, who also paddock schooled Wednesday, will exit post 5 is a good omen as he will be wearing the same number that his sire sported en route to victory in the Spa’s 2019 Grade 1 Woodward.

“I hope so,” said Little, Jr., with a laugh. “Preservationist got off to a good start. He had [stakes winner] Band of Gold with Kenny McPeek and, percentage wise, his number of winners is pretty good. Airdrie breeds nice horses. We’re fortunate they took him in as a stallion and we’re hoping Saturday adds to Preservationists’ success as a stallion.”